THE YENEPOYA INSTITUTE OF ARTS, SCIENCE, COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT

(Constituent unit of Yenepoya Deemed to be University)

Question Bank

Profession for Women by Virginia woolf

1. How could Woolf's warnings about the danger of the Angel in the House be
useful to modem women who are in careers other than writing, such as law
or publishing or engineering?
Ans: Woolf's warnings about the danger of the Angel in the House be
useful to modem women who are in careers other than writing, such as
lawyer or engineering. The phantom is a woman whom she calls ‘The Angel
in The House’ that stands for womanly perfection of the so-called good
nurtured social identity.
Whenever she begins to write ‘The Angel in The House’ comes between her
and her paper. Women who are lawyers or engineers have to go out of their
homes to enhance their job. Such courses are very expensive. In patriarchy,
people may think that they just become showy and cross the norms and
values of society. They would also feel insulted by society.

2. Woolf says women writers ‘are impeded by the extreme conventionality of

the other sex’ and suggests that any woman trying to enter a new profession
might have similar troubles. What kinds of obstacles might she have expected
women to encounter who want to be doctors or astronauts?
Ans: Woolf says women writers ‘are impeded by the extreme conventionality
of the other sex’ suggests that any women who try to enter new professions
might have similar troubles. For females, writing is an honest and harmless
profession. The family harmony is not broken by scratching the paper with
a pen. They can write sitting at home.
No demand is made upon the family purse. If they choose the field of doctors
and astronauts, they should have a problem with the economy and should
go outside to fulfill their takes and they might be viewed negatively.

3. What action or changes in attitude do you think Woolf hopes to bring about
in her listeners?
Ans: She wants all females to be bold and educated. She is trying to say
that they are as equal to males so that they should not be an angel in the
house but to make the future, they should involve in creative works. She
wants women's freedom from economic slavery. She makes a strong appeal
for women's liberation from conventional shackles. In the late Victorian and
early twentieth-century women had no economic independence.

4. When Woolf gave this talk to women in England in the 1920s, what kinds
of professional limitations might her audience have been concerned about?
Would women readers in Nepal today have the same kinds of concerns?
Why or why not?
Ans: Virginia Woolf is addressing a group of women seeking employment in
a workforce predominantly by men. When Woolf gave this talk to women in
England in the 1920s, Virginia Woolf finds the professional limitations of
the phantom, the Angel in the House, and the economy.
Today, in town, the status of Nepalese women is quite changed but in the
village, the status of women in Nepal remains very poor in terms of health,
education, income, decision-making, and access to policymaking.
Patriarchal practices control these women's lives.
Women face systematic discrimination, particularly in rural areas. Literacy
rates are substantially lower than men's, and women work longer hours.
Violence against women is still common, and there are not enough women
in professions. Women's representation has been ensured in the
constituent assembly, but women's equal participation in all state
mechanisms is far from ideal.

Prose : A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield

Summary
A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield was first published in
the “Story-Teller” in May 1922. It later appeared in “The Doves’ Nest and
Other Stories” in 1923. The protagonist is a snobbish wealthy woman who
only lends a helping hand to a poor girl because she thinks it’ll make her
look good. The author portrays a clear image of class difference and the
attitudes of people of different classes.
The protagonist Rosemary Fell is a very wealthy woman
however, the narrator says that she’s not the kind to be considered
“beautiful”. Rosemary has been married for two years to a very rich man,
Phillips Fell. Rosemary lives a luxurious life, shopping at high-end shops
and buying anything she desires. Once she visits an antique shop, the
shopkeeper is very fond of her and seems to fancy her a lot. He shows her
a small shiny velvet box that’s very beautiful. Rosemary is very pleased but
knowing the price to be twenty-eight gunnies she decides not to buy it and
asks the shopkeeper to save it for her.
 Outside the shop, it’s raining and rosemary is very upset
that she can’t buy that box now. She’s approached by a timid looking girl
who asks her for money, the price of a cup of tea. Rosemary thinks such
things happen in books and sound incredible thus she decides to take the
girl with her to her home. She wants to show the poor girl that rich people
feel empathy for her kind. The girl is very shocked to receive such
treatment, she’s afraid at first but agrees to go with her. Rosemary thinks
about boasting about this in front of her friends.

At her house, Rosemary takes the girl up to her bedroom and

makes her sit near the fire on a comfortable chair. She helps the girl take
off her coat and hat but drops them on the floor. The poor girl cries that
life’s too hard and she’s too tired to carry on, she wishes to end her life.
Rosemary consoles her and orders tea. The girl is served tea along with
some food. Rosemary lights up a cigarette while the girl eats. After the girl’s
eaten some food she appears livelier. Rosemary starts to ask her about her
life but she’s interrupted by her husband’s arrival. Phillip is astonished to
see the girl in his wife’s room and he asks the girl’s name, she says it is
Smith. Phillip then asks Rosemary to join him in the library to talk in
private.

Phillip inquires about the girl and Rosemary explains him. Philip
says that it’s absurd to keep a stranger in the house like this but Rosemary
is keen on her mission. Then Phillip mentions that the girl is very lovely
and pretty. This makes Rosemary insecure. Rosemary leaves the library
and picks up some money to give to the poor Miss Smith, she then asks her
to leave. After Miss Smith leaves Rosemary dresses up nicely, makes her
hair look nice and wears her pearls. She joins her husband back in the
library and lies that Miss Smith insisted on leaving. She sits on his knees
and asks him whether he likes her; he assures her that he likes her a lot.
She then asks if she can buy the shiny velvet box from the antique store.
Phillip agrees but that was not what she wanted to ask him. After a pause,
she questions “Am I pretty?”
Gift of the Magi : summary
The story begins on Christmas Eve, with Della lamenting the fact that she’s
only saved $1.87, despite months of pinching pennies at the grocer,
butcher, and vegetable man. She flops down on their shabby couch and
cries, while the narrator goes on to introduce the young couple, Della
and Jim Dillingham Young. The narrator then describes their apartment,
remarking upon its cheapness—8 dollars a week—and lack of a working
doorbell. Della stops crying but is still at a loss for how she might buy a
Christmas present worthy of Jim. She suddenly remembers the pier-glass—
a sort of thin mirror between the windows of the apartment—and stands
before the glass, releasing her hair to fall to its full length. Here, the
narrator describes the couple’s most prized possessions: Della’s long,
brown hair that falls below her knees and Jim’s gold watch that was passed
down from his grandfather.
Della runs downstairs onto the street, where she finds a hair shop run by
a Madame Sofronie. After a brief exchange during which Madame Sofronie
evaluates Della’s hair, Della sells her long locks for twenty dollars.
Della spends the next two hours looking for a perfect present for Jim. She
decides finally on a simple platinum chain for Jim’s watch, comparing the
watch’s lack of ornamentation and value to Jim’s personality, which is
equally quiet and valuable. Della returns home to fix her hair into curls and
prepare dinner before waiting for Jim at the door. She says a little prayer
hoping that Jim will still find her pretty without her long hair.
When Jim enters the door, he freezes, staring at Della’s hair without
expression. Della runs to Jim and tells him that she had her hair cut and
sold in order to buy him a Christmas present. Jim continues to stare, and
Della repeats that her hair is gone—but that her love for him is
immeasurable. Jim finally moves, giving Della a hug and throwing a
package on the table. He reassures her that no haircut could make him like
her any less, but that he was shocked because of the present he bought for
her.
Della opens the package to find the beautiful tortoiseshell combs that she
had coveted for her hair. She shrieks in joy before crying, and Jim comforts
her before she remembers her own present to Jim. She pulls out
the watch chain and asks to see Jim’s watch so that she might try the chain
on it. Jim flops down on the couch and smiles, saying that they should put
their presents away for now and that they’re too nice to use just yet—before
admitting that he sold the watch to buy the combs for Della. They decide to
have dinner, and the narrator sums up the story with a little paragraph on
the magi. He describes them as wise men who invented the art of giving
Christmas presents, and he compares Jim and Della to the magi—saying
that of all who give gifts, these two are the wisest.

About the Author :

William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an
American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also
wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the Magi",
"The Duplicity of Hargraves", and "The Ransom of Red Chief", as well as
the novel Cabbages and Kings.
1. How did Della save her one dollar and eighty-seven cents?
Answer:
Della had saved the money by bargaining hard about prices with the
grocer, the vegetable man, and the butcher.
2. The writer gives details of Jim’s flat. Pick out the details.
Answer:
It was a furnished flat at $8 per week. There was nothing to describe. In
the vestibule below was a letterbox into which no letter would go, and an
electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Attached to
the button was a card bearing the name “Mr. James Dillingham Young.”
3. What were the most precious possessions of Jim and Della?
Answer:
The most precious possession of Jim was the gold watch that had been
his father’s and his grandfathers before him. Della’s possession was her
long rippling, shining hair that fell down like a cascade of brown waters.
4. How has the writer compared Della’s hair to Queen of Sheba’s jewels?
Answer:
The writer says that had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the
airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to
dry just to depreciate Her Majesty’s jewels and gifts.
5. How has the writer compared Jim’s watch to King Solomon’s treasures?
Answer:
The writer says that had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his
treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch
every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard with envy.

Summary of The refugees

The refugees were walking in a city where they were looked upon as an
unwelcome crowd who would create many problems for the original
residents. This city which was the capital of their country, was just a few
hundred miles away from their own lands, but they felt like outsiders here.
They had to leave their lands because of sudden and unexpected floods
caused by a big breach in the dikes. While walking on the concrete roads
these refugees did not look at anything although many things were quite
new to them. They were too hungry and weak to take any active interest in
new sights and sounds. They were provided shelter in large camps outside
the new capital’s city wall.

The refugees would pour in large numbers and usually produced bitterness
in city dwellers who would feel disgusted at their sight. Their bitterness was
caused by their fear that the presence of these hungry crowds will create
many problems for them. This made them hostile and they would often
shout rudely at many of the beggars. It also made people merciless in
paying smalls fares to rickshaw-pullers. Some of the refugees would pull
rickshaw at a much cheaper price and caused competition; some would try
their luck in every possible unskilled profession, while others would bend
to begging. All this made the city dwellers look upon them as a big nuisance
and tended to close their hearts to their suffering.

These refugees had to face penury because of a natural calamity. They were
otherwise very proud and self-respecting people and felt ashamed of
themselves when they were forced by their helpless condition to take resort
to begging. They were tall and strong, wearing clothes made up of dark blue
cotton stuff. Their clothes were cut in an old-fashioned way and had long
sleeves. Their coats were also long and full. The smocked apron of men had
strange, complicated and yet beautiful designs while women had bands on
their heads wrapped like kerchief. Every man carried clean and well made
clothes and some bedding in two baskets which hung from a pole across
his shoulders. There were cooking utensils on each basket but there was
no sign of food being cooked in them. A close look at their faces showed
that they were homeless, sad and had lost hope of surviving for long, but
they bore their difficult situation with patience and courage.

One of the refugees, the last one in the long procession, was an old man
who had a wrinkled face and a weak body. Like other refugees, he also
carried a load of two baskets – one had a quilt with a cauldron on it while
the other had another quilt but no cooking utensil placed on it. He was
tired and breathing heavily because the load was quite heavy for the old
man. He stopped and after putting his load down, sat down to restore his
strength. A passer-by stopped by, felt pity and offered him a bit of money
so that the old man could eat noodles and save himself from being starved.
But the old man had his dignity and self-respect and did not put his hand
out to receive the alms. He told the passer-by that he was not a beggar and
had fertile land at home. The passer-by, without paying much attention,
dropped the money into the old man’s smocked apron and went away after
making a sympathetic comment which also carried a tinge of dry humour.
And their life was filled with conflicts because of flood. Even the seeds he
saved for planting, people ate because of hunger. The old man said “Sir we
have no seed left even, we have eaten our seed. I told them we cannot eat
the seed. But they were young and hungry they ate it.”

The vendor was selling noodles close-by. He asked the old man if he’d like
to buy a big or tiny bowl of noodles. The old man saw the two coins and
said that one small bowl would be enough for him. The vendor was shocked
by this desire for a small bowl even though the old man was really hungry.
The vendor prepared a small bowl and, after handing it over to the old man,
waited to see who was going to eat it.

The old man rose with an effort and with the bowl went to the other basket.
The vendor watched the old man pulling the quilt away and noticed a little
boy with a sunken face. The old man, with great love and care, lifted up the
little child’s head and made him swallow the food. It was his grandson. After
covering the little soul affectionately, the old man licked the little bowl and
finished even the last trace of food on it. This was his only meal.

When the old man returned the bowl to the vendor and ordered nothing
more, he reminded the old man that he still had money to buy another bowl
to save himself from hunger. The old man, however, declined to buy any
more because he wanted to keep the rest of the seed purchase money. He
decided to return to his native land, sow seeds and grow crops. He gave
more priority to his obligation to grow new crops on his land than to remove
his hunger by buying a bowl of noodles for himself with the silver coin he
had with him. He added that he would not take care of his own life in an
effort to make his grandson’s life easier and healthier. He picked up his
load again and began to walk on his old, shaky legs again. The attitude of
the old man reveals the integrity and optimism that can keep the peasantry
moving even in the most difficult and insufferably painful situation.

SUMMARY- THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

The poet was walking down the road when he found a diversion where two
roads diverged in different directions. The poet felt sorry that he could not
travel on both roads. He had to make one decision and choose a single path.
At the junction, the poet stood for a long time and tried to look at the roads
as far as he could. He wanted to see the roads in full and wanted to know
about both paths. But, he could not see anything beyond the diversion as
the roads were curved and covered with trees. In the stanza, the yellow
wood refers to the forest with leaves which were shed on the road and had
turned yellow. This indicates that it was the autumn season. Through this
stanza, the poet wants to convey that in everyone’s life, there comes a time
when we have to make choices. We have alternatives, but we have to choose
only one. At that time, we see the pros and cons of the situation and take
the time to decide which path to take. Similarly, the poet is also taking time
before making any decision.

After pondering on it for a long time, the poet decided to take the other road.
He felt that both roads were equally good. He started walking on the road
which had grass on it and felt that it was a better road for him. The grassy
road means that the road was not used, and the wanted wear means that
only a few people have walked through it. After walking some distance on
the road, the poet felt that both paths were almost the same. There was
hardly any difference between them. Through this, the poet conveys that,
in our life, whatever decisions we take or choices we make, each choice has
some advantages and some disadvantages. Problems are everywhere, so we
must be ready to face them.

The poet says that both paths seemed to be similar that morning. Leaves
were shed on both roads, and they were still green. It means that no one
had walked on the roads. He decided to take one path that day and the
other path on another day. However, he knows that one way leads to
another way. He could not go back and take the other path once he moved
ahead with one. Similarly, in our life, when we make one decision, we can’t
go back. We have to move ahead with the same choice and face the
consequences which come our way.

The poet says that in the future, he will take a deep breath and say that
once upon a time, he reached a point in life where he had to make one
choice. There were two options for him, and he had to opt for one. At that
time, he decided to take that road which was less travelled by people. It
means that he took a decision which rare people take. And that decision
has changed his entire life. Through the poem, the poet sends a powerful
message that people should decide wisely in their life because the decision
they take will have an impact on the rest of their life.

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
What was the poet’s dilemma?
Answer:
The poet was standing before the two roads. He had to decide which one
would lead him to success. It was not easy for him to decide. So he stood
there and introspected. Out the two options, he had to choose the one. Of
course, it was not an easy choice.

Question 2.
What was the poet’s opinion about both the roads?
Answer:
The poet opined that both the roads were same. They were equally
travelled and there was no difference between them. So he got confused. It
was difficult to decide which road would be more convenient and
comfortable. He wanted to choose the one that would take him to his
intended destination.

Question 3.
What do the roads represent?
Answer:
The roads represent the problem of decision-making. Human beings suffer
because of their choices and decisions. They find themselves in such
situations at every step in their lives. Out of the available options, they
have to choose the one that may take them to their destination. The
choice decides the outcome in life.

Question 4.
Did the poet take his decision haphazardly?
Answer:
No, he speculated and brooded over the situation. He took this decision
after a lot of contemplation. He did not take this decision haphazardly. No
doubt, he was a bit confused. After all, it was not quite easy to make the
right choice. But he exercised his option after much contemplation.

Question 5.
Why did the poet choose that road?
Answer:
The poet chose that road because it was less travelled. He wanted to do
those activities which had not been done by anyone earlier. The poet
didn’t seem to be interested in choosing a much trodden path of life.
Avoiding the popular rat-race, he opted for the option that broke fresh
grounds.

Question 6.
What is the message of the poem?
Answer:
The message of the poem is to make people aware of their analytical skills.
The poet wishes to say that choices should be made carefully and
thoughtfully. One should behave responsibly because life does not offer
multiple chances every now and then.
Question 7.
Did the poet make the right choice?
Answer:
It is not easy to say whether the poet made the right choice or not. He,
himself couldn’t reach to any such conclusion. It is possible that he may
repent for making such a choice. He avoided the popular and off-beaten
path of life. He dared to choose the path which was less frequented used
by the people. This bold decision might bring all the difference in his life.

Question 8.
Why did the poet take the ‘other’ road? Why did the ‘other’ road have a
better claim than the first road?
Answer:
The poet had to choose one of the two roads. He left the one which was a
popular choice. He decided to take the ‘other’ road which was less
frequented and travelled by the people. The ‘other’ road had a better claim
as it was grassy. It invited the people to walk on it.

Question 9.
Describe the conditions of both the roads that lay open before the poet on
that morning.
Answer:
In the yellow autumnal wood, two roads diverged into two directions. Both
of them were covered with the fallen leaves. In the morning, both of them
were still untouched. The steps of travellers have not blackened them.
One was frequently used by the travellers. The other one was not a
popular choice. It seemed to invite people to walk on it.

Question 10.
Was the poet certain to come back on the road he had left for another
day?
Answer:
Life and its ways are complex and confusing. One roads leads to another.
In this web, one has to make a choice. The poet left the one road and hope
that he would use it on another day. But he was quite doubtful. It often
happens that the road that is left once, is left forever. Rarely do we come
on to that road again.

Question 11.
How does the outcome of our life depends on the choice we make to reach
our destinations?
Answer:
Life is full of complexities. It provides us with different choices and
options. The choice is never easy. Our success or failure depends on the
choice that we make. Mostly people choose the most popular or
frequented paths of life. But some bold and adventurous people take risks
and choose the less frequented paths and ways of life.
Long answer type questions

Question 1.
In the poem “The Road Not Taken,” what do the woods symbolize?
Answer:
In this poem, the poet comes to a fork in the road where it is diversified into
paths, and he must decide which path to follow. Both paths run in different
directions through a “yellow wood.” The poet finds himself standing in the
middle and in dilemma of choosing the right path. The woods in this poem
symbolize the difficulty of seeing into the future. The poet must make a
choice based on limited information, since much of what he might like to
see is not clear. The poet will have to rely on faith and intuition as he makes
his choice, as we often must do in life. ‘Woods’ in the poem stand for the
complexities of human life. Life is like a maze. The ‘forks’ stand for the
‘alternatives’ or ‘options’ life provides to reach the destination. What you
reap later on in life, depends on the ‘options’ or the ‘ways’ you choose during
the course of life.

Question 2.
According to the poem, how does the poet feel about his or her decision in
the end?
Answer:
The speaker of this poem is Robert Frost himself. He is thinking about a
career decision he made many years ago. He had to make a choice between
seeking a secure profession which would enable him to live in comfort or to
devote him to poetry and live a simple life close to nature. Same like the
poet, many of us don’t know whether to trust our instincts and go ahead
with the pursuit of our dreams. Frost chose to devote his life to his poetry.
The poet does not appear to regret the choice he made, but he sounds
wistful in the last as if he wishes he knew what his alternate life would have
been like if he had taken the other road.

Question 3.
What is the theme or the message of the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’?
Answer:
Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not taken’ deals with the complexities of life. Life
and its ways never woven in a straight line. Life provides many options. The
web of life consists of many paths and sub-ways. Naturally, these
complexities of life confuse a person. Out of many options and alternatives,
he has to make a choice. Only a judicious choice make us reach our
destination. Most of people choose the least risky and off-tradden ways of
life. They don’t want to take any risk. Only a few persons like the poet dare
to chose a different path of like. They are bold enough to face risks and
challenges in life. One has to make a choice. His success or failure in life
depends on his choice. The poet chose a different path. Popular fame and
fortune are sacrificed in favour of art, literature and poetry. Nobody knows
what he would have gained had he followed the least risky and safe path of
life.

Question 4.
How does one way lead on to another? Is it easier to come back to the path
we have left for another day?
Answer:
Every man has his own aim or the destination of life. Life provides many
options and alternatives. The zig-zag way of life is always expanding. One
way leads on to another. All these additions make the web of life quite
complex. These pluralities of options confuse every man. He can’t follow all
the ways or paths simultaneously. Amid this confusion, comes the problem
of the right choice. The choice of the right or the wrong option makes all
the difference in one’s life. One should make a judicious choice. Success or
failure in life depends on the choice you make. If the choice is made, it is
rather difficult to retrace our steps. Sometimes we leave one option or
alternative with the hope of coming back to it on another day. It is quite
possible that we may never come back to our original position again. Hence,
we must make the right choice to get the desired result and success in life.

A Hot Noon In Malabar – Kamala Das ( poem)

Kamala Das was born at Punnayurkulam in Malabar, Kerala. Educated
mainly at home, she was especially close to her grandmother who showered
a lot of love and affection on the growing child. She is often remembered in
her poetry as in My Grandmother's House and A Hot Noon in Malabar.
Wherever Kamala Das went and wherever she lived, she remembered her
early girlhood, cherished and nursed by her grandmother. And this
accounts for the element of nostalgia in her poems, particularly in A Hot
Noon in Malabar, which appeared in her first published collection of poems,
Summer in Calcutta in 1965.
The poet finds the world outside defiled and boring. The summer in the city
where she lives now is a torture to her. It is a hot noon with the beggars
shouting for alms in their plaintive, singsong tones. There are also men
from the hills with parrots in cages; with their dirty, soiled cards they
foretell the future. There are also Kurava girls who read the palms of their
customers and predict their future in their carefree, singsong voices. They
are joined by bangle - sellers selling their nut - coloured bangles covered
with the dust of the road. They have walked long distances and their feet
have cracks on their heels.
The poet had known them all in her girlhood when she lived in her family
home in Malabar. But now when they come to the porch of their house,
they seem to her strangers, the noise they make is harsh and unpleasant.
The ellipses (dots) here express the poet's yearning for a time when they
were neither so strange nor so unpleasant, but were a familiar and pleasant
sight.
The poet's soul is tortured with intense heat in the hot noon. It seems to
her that strangers from the outside world are peeping through the window
of her room with their hot and burning eyes, and searching for shelter from
the heat of the sun. Their first peep into the dark room and not finding
anyone there look yearningly towards the “brick ledged well” to quench their
thirst and get some rest there from the heat of the sun. They are all
strangers with a wild look in their eyes; they do not speak much but when
they do, their voices are wild, like “jungle – voices”. Such is the maddening
heat of the sun in the strange city where the poet lives now. It is a torture
to her because it reminds her of equally hot noons which she once passed
in her ancestral home in Malabar, where she was gay and happy despite
the heat. Now everything is strange dirty and painful. Then everything was
familiar, innocent and pure.
The poet thus simultaneously recalls the past and compares it with the
present. How different was the past from the unhappy present! It was also
hot then, but how different, how innocent, how pure and familiar these very
faces in the hot noon looked to her at that time! She yearns for the
innocence and purity of her old family home. It is a torture for her to be
there in a strange city on that hot noon. Strangers with wild feet must still
be there outside her ancestral home in Malabar, but also, she is so far,
away from home. Life there must be going on as usual, but everything has
changed for the poet. Her home in Malabar is the ideal, dream world for the
poet. Distance leads enchantment to the view; she yearns to be there as to
a place of refuge from the sorrow and suffering of the present. It is all a
cluster of associations and far reaching emotional yearnings. Words like
“jungle – voices”, through a fusion of sense and sound, enact a verbal drama
and contribute to the peculiar, nostalgic tone of the poem. The poet lives in
a jungle now and yearns for the safety and refuge of her ancestral home in
Malabar.

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night- (Poem)

The poem is an insight into the ways different people approach death. Some
words and phrases are used metaphorically to refer to death and old age.
In the first stanza ‘Good night’ and ‘dying of the light’ refer to death while
‘close of the day’ refers to old age. ‘Dying of the light’ also indicates end of
life because at old age light (eye sight and life) tends to escape people before
they finally give up the ghost.

In stanza two, the poet states that wise men don’t surrender to death will
fully because they know their wisdom (intellectual contribution to the
world) has fostered light and will live after them. ‘Because their words had
forked no lightning’. In as much they know that death is inevitable (… know
dark is right) they hold on to life to be able to leave their mark. Thereby
sustaining their memory in history as great scholars or philosophers.

The next reference is the good men. the good men can be interpreted in two
parts, that good men are few, ‘the last wave by’ perhaps the poet believes
his father belong to those last set of good men. the second interpretation is
good men knowing that their deeds will not be remembered regardless of
their seemingly significant achievements.

Wild men in the next stanza refer to men that wasted their days chasing
vanity. They lived their lives daring everything. However, the approach of
death gives them a reality making them grieve of their foolishness. ‘And
learn, too late, they grieved it on its way’. However, they don’t still give in
to death without resisting it.

The last stanza, It charges his father to fight death gallantly like other men
do. He tells him not to be sad or succumb to death without a fight. He also
encourages his father to bless him with the last of his strength and
blessings.

Themes of The Raven

Death and the Afterlife

"The Raven" explores man's relationship with death, specifically the effect
of a loved one's death on those left behind. We see the progression of the
speaker's grief throughout "The Raven." He sits alone in his room—a room
and a chair where Lenore once sat, as he says in a later stanza: "But whose
velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er, /She shall press, ah,
nevermore!" The speaker is engulfed in memories of Lenore, and he retreats
to his books to find solace from remembering. It is possible that the speaker
looks through his books of "forgotten lore" seeking a way to bring Lenore
back from the dead. Regardless, the speaker is attempting to stave off the
pain of Lenore's loss through study.
Upon the raven's arrival, the speaker asks for the creature's name: "Tell me
what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" The speaker, and
Poe by extension, already equates the raven's presence with death, tying
the two together with his reference to Pluto, Roman god of the underworld
and overseer of the afterlife. Because ravens were often seen as messengers,
associating the raven with Pluto suggests that the bird brings a message
from beyond.
Loss and Grief
"The Raven" is a study in loss and grief. The speaker's lover, Lenore, has
died. Thoughts of her consume him, even when he tries to distract himself.
Though "The Raven" is not considered biographical, the speaker's feelings
of grief are incredibly vivid and affecting. The loss of a loved one is a
universal experience, and Poe chose this theme of loss to deliver the most
profound effect he could.
When the speaker asks the raven if there is any hope he might be reunited
with Lenore after his own death, his question mirrors those same hopes
and fears within the reader. The speaker's reaction of outrage and anger at
not getting the answer he wanted from the raven reflect common feelings of
anger and grief at being denied what is most desired.

Madness and Despair

"The Raven" is a poetical study of grief. The speaker attempts to stave off
his sorrow at the passing of Lenore using rational means, but grief is not
rational. As the poem progresses, he veers further and further away from
rational thought. The bust of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, looks down
on him from the very beginning of the poem, but she—representing rational
thought—is overcome in the end by the symbolic despair embodied in the
raven.
Throughout the poem, the speaker is trying to convince himself of
something. First, he convinces himself that he is not being haunted by
Lenore when he opens the door to his chamber to find no one there. He
clings to his rational explanation of the sound of knocking. When the raven
appears, he attempts to reason its presence at his window, saying that it
escaped from its master and fled the storm. Its speech, he supposes, is the
bird parroting a word it heard from said master.

Summary 0f The Raven -Poem

An unnamed speaker sits in his chamber on a dreary December night,
reading old, esoteric books. He dearly misses his love, Lenore, who
presumably died recently, and he hopes that reading will distract him
from his loss. He has nearly fallen asleep when he suddenly hears
someone—or something—knocking on the door. He’s instantly uneasy
but reassures himself that it’s probably just a visitor. He calls out,
apologizing for his delayed response. However, when he opens the door,
no one is there. He whispers, “Lenore,” to the darkness outside but hears
only his words echo back at him. Ominously, the knocking continues,
this time from the window. The speaker assumes it is the wind but still
feels uneasy. He opens the window shutters, and a raven hops in,
perching on a bust of the Greek goddess Pallas Athena above the
chamber door. The sight of the bird relieves the speaker momentarily. He
jokingly asks the bird’s name. To his utter shock, the raven cries out,
“Nevermore.”
 The speaker is stunned and unsure of the raven’s meaning. He regains
his composure and whispers that the bird will fly away soon. The raven
responds again, “Nevermore!” Still trying to console himself, the speaker
theorizes that the bird must have an owner who taught it to say that one
hopeless word. Curious, the speaker moves his chair in front of the
raven. He lounges in the chair, pondering the raven for a few moments.
He thinks about how Lenore will never again lounge upon this chair. He
admonishes himself—God has granted him this one respite from his
guilt, and still he thinks of Lenore. He tells himself to forget Lenore. As
if in response, the raven says again, “Nevermore.” Now the speaker
addresses the bird, calling it “evil” and a “prophet.” He asks if he will ever
find relief. The raven says, “Nevermore.” He asks whether he will hold
Lenore when he reaches Heaven. The raven replies, “Nevermore.”
Enraged, the speaker orders the raven to leave him alone in his chamber.
He accuses the raven of lying and shouts for it to get out. Without moving
at all, the bird repeats its sole refrain—"Nevermore.” The speaker
concludes that the raven still sits upon the bust of Pallas Athena, casting
a shadow over his soul that will always linger.

Question Paper pattern of Semester End English

paper
Section A
Answer the following questions (MCQs) (15*1=5)
Section B
Answer any Three of the following. (10*3=30)
Section C
Answer any TWO of the following. (2*15=30)